Points (6×6)

Goal: Place.

Stuck to my usual impatient strategy hoping to work on recovery after the sprints and won the first sprint easily from 150m. Stuck it out for the next sprint and grabbed another point without working too hard. Shin got away immediately after the second sprint, only Tim chased after he scooped up the third sprint. A group of four held a gap for the next two sprints and I just hung on with the remaining 5 for the rest of the race. We caught up for the last sprint but I had nothing left.

My early points got me 4th since the points were fairly concentrated, goal accomplished. I definitely have some work to do in order to stay competitive for the later sprints. Next week I need to stay away from the first sprints entirely and win the last few outright.

Points (7×6)

Goal/purpose: win a sprint or two, try a two lap breakaway to gauge my solo strength off the front.

Resolved to sit in and start sprinting after a few racers in our small field had worked themselves in the early sprints. Couldn’t help myself from grabbing a point in the first sprint, but didn’t work very hard for it. Found myself 4th wheel for the second sprint when the two leaders went at turn two. I didn’t feel like working to either bridge the gap or drag the other riders up, so I didn’t chase immediately. I followed a wheel from over the top at 200m, easily passing him at 150m, finding myself back at the two leaders coming toward the line. Got the hole shot to win the sprint. Rode it through the next lap and slotted back. Feeling rested enough at 32 laps to go, I kicked hard in turn 1 after Allen from Webcor pulled up.

Held the gap for the rest of the lap, but riders eventually bridged up and I died in the sprint. 5th in the sprint, no points for a taxing effort, but a valuable lesson learned. Had I got in turn 3 a lap out I could have won the sprint with a solo effort, but probably also could have won it by just sitting in. Kept things interesting.

Started to fizzle at this point, hung on the back for another dozen laps or so, eventually sat it out and lost points as the remnants of the filled drilled it in the last few laps. Finished 1 lap down.

Goals accomplished, came down to a trade off between trying the solo break and finishing the race with the lead group: glad I tried something new.